AP Psychology - Lecture 1 Notes

Introduction

• Course: 80 modules in AP Psychology
• Lecturer: Dr. Jessica
• Textbook: Myers Psychology for the AP Course (3rd Edition) by David Myers and Nathan DeWall
• Journey through 14 units

Module 1: Psychology and Its History

Unit 1: Psychology's History and Approaches

• Focus on history, today's approaches, and subfields in psychology
• Learning Targets:
  • Understand why psychology is a science and the concept "the rat is always right"
  • Describe key elements of the scientific attitude and how they support scientific inquiry
  • Explain how critical thinking feeds scientific attitude and its application in everyday life
  • Describe the development of psychology from early understandings to modern science
  • Explain behaviorism, Freudian psychology, and humanistic psychology

Why Psychology is a Science

• Utilizes tools of science (description, explanation, prediction, and control) to understand behavior and mental processes
• The rat is always right: accepting study results regardless of hypothesis validity

Key Elements of the Scientific Attitude

1. Curiosity
   • Asking questions (e.g., are stress levels related to health?)
2. Skepticism
   • Sifting reality from fantasy; demanding evidence
   • Example questions to investigate: do facial expressions affect feelings?
3. Humility
   • Willingness to accept incorrect predictions

Critical Thinking

• Examining assumptions
• Appraising sources
• Discerning hidden biases
• Evaluating evidence
• Assessing conclusions

Philosophy to Psychology

• Philosophers' questions about the mind: How does it work? How is it related to the body?
• Greeks (Socrates, Plato, Aristotle): Mind-body relation, nature vs. nurture
• Rene Descartes: Mind-body dualism, animal dissections
• Empiricism: Francis Bacon (founder of modern science) and John Locke (tabula rasa)

Pioneers in Psychology

• Wilhelm Wundt: Established first psychology lab in Leipzig, Germany
  • Studied fastest mental processes
  • Famous experiment on reaction time to sound
• Edward Titchener: Introduced structuralism and introspection
  • Influenced by Wundt, attempted to classify elements of the mind
• William James: Influenced by Darwin, introduced functionalism
  • Wrote Principles of Psychology
  • Studied purpose of mental functions in evolution
• Mary Whiton Calkins: First female president of the APA
  • Denied PhD at Harvard, strong memory researcher
• Margaret Floy Washburn: First female to earn a PhD in psychology, wrote The Animal Mind

Early Schools of Thought

• Behaviorism: John Watson, B.F. Skinner
  • Focused on observable behavior as the subject of psychology
• Freudian Psychology: Sigmund Freud
  • Emphasis on unconscious forces and childhood experiences
• Humanistic Psychology: Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers
  • Emphasis on human potential and personal growth; unconditional positive regard

Summary

• Psychology as a Science: Uses scientific tools and accepts results of studies regardless of hypothesis

• Scientific Attitude: Curiosity, skepticism, and humility in scientific inquiry

• Critical Thinking: Essential for assessing psychological concepts and everyday applications

• History of Psychology: From Greek philosophers to modern science, key figures like Wundt, Titchener, James, Calkins, and Washburn have shaped the field

• Development of Psychological Science: Contributions from behaviorism, Freudian psychology, and humanistic psychology

• Upcoming modules will delve deeper into each of these aspects.